About me
I am an Associate Professor (“Docent” in the Swedish academic system) and acting group leader for the ESR (Estrogen Signaling Research) group. I received my PhD from Karolinska Institutet in 2000, under the supervision of Professor Kari Hemminki. My PhD project studied the molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis mediated by chemical carcinogens or UV-radiation. In 2002, I joined the ESR group, focusing at understanding estrogen signaling and AP-1 signaling in breast cancer using functional genomics approaches.Research description
Functional genomics of breast Cancer
Patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer are usually treated with anti-hormone therapies such as tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors. However, many of these patients are resistant to these drugs or develop resistance during treatment, allowing their breast cancer to return. In addition, patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) have limited treatment options. Our group is using functional genomics approaches towards unravelling mechanisms of drug resistance in ER-positive breast cancer and understanding molecular determinants of malignant cell behaviors in TNBC. The ultimate goal is to develop novel and improved prognostic tools and therapies for patients with invasive breast tumors.
Recent published results from the group showed the first evidence that the AP-1 transcription factor Fra-1 is overexpressed in TNBC and has prognostic value. This work provided novel insights into the mechanisms through which TNBC cells acquire invasive and proliferative properties. Currently there are three main projects in focus 1) Characterization of the role of AP-1 in regulating TNBC invasiveness, in breast cancer progression and metastasis and in breast cancer stem cells. 2) Identification of the ER cistrome associated proteome in response to different ligands in breast cancer cells. With the term “the ER cistrome associated proteome” we refer to the global identification of proteins associated with primarily the DNA bound ER. 3) Identification of the ER cistrome associated proteome in tamoxifen resistant compared to tamoxifen sensitive breast cancer.